Hampton A Challenge `Longshot'

Notebook

June 02, 1990|By DAVID TEEL Staff Writer

Atlanta's 16,000-seat Omni still appears to be the primary competition for the three Virginia arenas - including Hampton Coliseum - bidding to host one of December's four ACC-Big East Challenge basketball doubleheaders.

Pairings and sites will be announced Tuesday, but ACC officials have indicated that either Charlotte, N.C., or Chapel Hill, N.C., both of which have arenas that seat 20,000-plus, will host one night. This leaves 10,000-seat buildings in Hampton, Norfolk and Richmond competing with Atlanta to be the second ACC site.

Jon LeCrone, an ACC assistant commissioner, told Andy Greenwell of the Hampton Coliseum on Friday that his building is a "longshot" because of its capacity, but Greenwell said, "We'll make it attractive for them. We'll offer as attractive a financial package as they'll get."

Factors favoring a Virginia site: the expected strength of Virginia's team, which would play at the state arena, and the professional dominance of the glutted Atlanta sports market.

After last year's attendance problems in Greensboro, N.C., and Hartford, Conn., Challenge organizers value a sellout crowd and the accompanying atmosphere more than they do a half-empty glitzy arena.

The two Big East sites likely will come from the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y., the Meadowlands in New Jersey, Pittsburgh Civic Arena and the Capital Centre in Landover, Md.

SIGN OF RELIEF

Perhaps the most-awaited game in Virginia football history retained its luster Thursday when the NCAA went easy on Clemson by not barring the Tigers from live television appearances and a 1990 bowl game. Clemson plays at Virginia on Sept. 8 in a game that should have a major impact on the ACC race and Citrus Bowl bid. The Tigers have won all 29 previous games against the Cavaliers.

FOUL PLAY

North Carolina State's athletic department has every right to be livid with the NCAA, which is demanding the refund of $405,756 in basketball tournament revenue from 1987 and '88. Those are the seasons in which former Wolfpack center Charles Shackleford admitted accepting $60,000 from two men, neither of whom was a representative of N.C. State athletic interests. When the NCAA slapped N.C. State with one year's probation in 1989, it did not accuse the school of knowing about the payments to Shackleford. Now, suddenly, the school is accountable for the independent actions of a misguided player. That's not right. N.C. State is considering legal action against Shackleford to recoup its losses.

EXPANSION STUFF

The Southeastern Conference is beginning an aggressive expansion campaign and likely will add two teams from among Arkansas, Miami, Florida State, South Carolina, Texas and Texas A&M. The addition of either Florida State or South Carolina likely would cause the demise of the Metro Conference, to which Virginia Tech belongs. ... Big Ten officials have discussed the possibility of adding Notre Dame, but Irish Athletic Director Dick Rosenthal said, "We have been independent for years and years because we want to be. ... I don't see us becoming part of a conference in the foreseeable future."

VIRGINIA CREW

Virginia's crew teams are making their national championship meet debuts this weekend. The Women's National Collegiate Championship is being conducted at Madison, Wisc., the men's at Syracuse, N.Y. The women are competing in eight-person shell, the men in four-man shell. Crew has been a club sport - the team receives no funding from the university - at Virginia since the 1960s, and a full-time coach, Kevin Sauer, wasn't hired until 1987.

VMI AWARD

For the third consecutive year, Virginia Military Institute has been presented the D.S. McAlister Award, given to the Southern Conference school that exhibits the highest degree of sportsmanship, ethics and courtesy among its players, coaches and spectators.